Seasonality of ecosystem respiration and gross primary production as derived from FLUXNET measurements

Abstract

Differences in the seasonal pattern of assimilatory and respiratory processes are responsible for divergences in seasonal net carbon exchange among ecosystems. Using FLUXNET data ( http://www.eosdis.ornl.gov/FLUXNET) we have analyzed seasonal patterns of gross primary productivity ( F GPP), and ecosystem respiration ( F RE) of boreal and temperate, deciduous and coniferous forests, Mediterranean evergreen systems, a rainforest, temperate grasslands, and C 3 and C 4 crops. Based on generalized seasonal patterns classifications of ecosystems into vegetation functional types can be evaluated for use in global productivity and climate change models. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of respiratory costs of assimilated carbon in various ecosystems. Seasonal variability of F GPP and F RE of the investigated sites increased in the order tropical< Mediterranean< temperate coniferous < temperate deciduous < boreal forests . Together with the boreal forest sites, the managed grasslands and crops show the largest seasonal variability. In the temperate coniferous forests, seasonal patterns of F GPP and F RE are in phase, in the temperate deciduous and boreal coniferous forests F RE was delayed compared to F GPP, resulting in the greatest imbalance between respiratory and assimilatory fluxes early in the growing season. F GPP adjusted for the length of the carbon uptake period decreased at the sampling sites across functional types in the order C 4 crops, temperate and boreal deciduous forests (7.5–8.3 g C m −2 per day )> temperate conifers, C 3 grassland and crops (5.7–6.9 g C m −2 per day )> boreal conifers (4.6 g C m −2 per day). Annual F GPP and net ecosystem productivity ( F NEP) decreased across climate zones in the order tropical>temperate>boreal. However, the decrease in F NEP with latitude was greater than the decrease in F GPP, indicating a larger contribution of respiratory (especially heterotrophic) processes in boreal systems.